Advocates Urge State Lawmakers to Expand Access to Education for Welfare Participants under new rules by the Bush Administration
 

Anti-poverty advocates and faith groups today urged Governor Paterson and State Senate to join with the Assembly to take advantage of recent changes in the federal welfare-to-work rules by the Bush administration to increase access to education for welfare participants. The Assembly bill was moved out of committee earlier this week.
 
“Governor Paterson and state lawmakers have a great opportunity to bring hope to low-income New Yorkers and economically struggling NY counties. We were pleasantly surprised that the Bush administration’s new welfare to work rules made some positive changes, recognizing that increased education leads to increased employment and earnings,” noted Rev. Debra Jameson of FOCUS Churches in Albany and a leader in the Faith and Hunger Network.

“Everyone agrees that welfare should do a better job of helping welfare participants become more employable. Unfortunately, the approach that New York has taken over the last decade has been among the least successful in the country according to the federal government. State lawmakers have been unable to come to agreement on how to respond to the Bush initiatives with just a few days before they go home for the summer. This common sense step should not become another victim of Albany gridlock," added Arleen Urell, Chair, Reform Jewish Voice on New York State.
 
The most recent report by Health and Human Services to Congress ranked New York 48th in the country in terms of the overall effectiveness of its welfare-to-work programs. State officials have recently agreed to take several steps to increase access to education programs, including passage of the Career Pathways program that will provide expanded education and training opportunities to low-income individuals as they move up the economic ladder.
 
“We appreciate that OTDA Commissoner David Hansell and state lawmakers have recognized the need to strengthen access to education for welfare participants. Assemblymember Wright’s proposed legislation is another critical step in the process,” noted Damaris McGuire,  Director of the Episcopal Public Policy Network.


"No one is arguing that work activities should not be part of the path to helping welfare participants become more employable. In fact the most successful welfare to work programs are the ones that combine a real job with education and training. But a lack of basic education is a big barrier for many low-income New Yorkers. Allowing someone spending five to fifteen hours a week in adult literacy to count this towards their 35 hour a week work requirement is a sensible approach to helping people become more employable," stated Mark Dunlea, Executive Director of the Hunger Action Network of NYS.
 
Dunlea noted that one of Hunger Action's long-time Board members, Marty Maxwell of Rochester, was able to get a college degree when she was a welfare participant, something that it is virtually impossible today. Ms. Maxwell, a mother of two, is now a homeowner and a long time social worker assisting senior citizens and the disabled.
 
"I use my experience with the welfare system in advocacy work and my co-workers and clients respect my ability to apply my life experiences to the job. Although welfare reform permits some to get an education, it requires that a large percentage of recipients be employed at least 30 hours a week. Often the jobs they get are entry level and/or temporary. There are people on welfare who could learn, benefit and contribute, if given the opportunity to get an education. That is not happening," said Ms. Maxwell.

The advocates are supporting legislation (A11297A) introduced by Assemblymember Keith Wright, chair of the Assembly Social Services committee. It has been introduced in the Senate Sen. Carl Kruger, Chair of the Senate Social Services committee (S8416).

In February 2008, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued final TANF regulations implementing the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.  A number of important changes to the rules support New York's intention to make education and training the center of our economic engine. In particular, HHS made several important changes in the final rules:
 
-  Baccalaureate and advanced degree programs are now countable towards a state's work participation rate. In general, individuals are allowed to obtain one year of college. However, under previous law, only attendance in two-year college programs was countable.
· For each hour of class time (including ESL, adult literacy and GEDs), up to one hour of unsupervised homework time required or advised by an educational program may now count towards the work participation rate.
 
In addition to these changes, the Wright bill would also make clear that local welfare district cannot unreasonably deny people receiving welfare participation in appropriate educational activities. Welfare participants are generally required to work 25 to 35 hours week as a condition of eligibility. Federal law allows part of these work hours to be met through education that will help the participant become employment.
 
The biggest debate among lawmaker appears to be over increasing the right of welfare participants to attend education programs such as GED and basic literacy. Advocates note however that this right has been approved every two years by the State legislature when they renew the allow allowing welfare participants to count work study programs and internships as work activities.
 
NYS has less than 5% of people receiving welfare in education and training, even though the majority of those receiving public assistance require adult basic education and literacy or don’t have a high school diploma. Federal law allows up to 30% of the welfare caseload to be engaged in vocational educational activities that will help increase their employability; only 11% of TANF participants are so engaged. According to the NYS Education Department, over half of adults receiving welfare do not have a high school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) degree and an estimated 40 percent read at less than an eighth grade level.
 
"We all know that a good education is an important pathway out of poverty. We hope that the Paterson administration and state lawmakers will take advantage of the opportunity provided by the Bush administration to make it clear to local welfare districts that they need to strengthen their education programs for welfare participants," added Lisa Ritchie of Hunger Action Network.

Public opinion supports access to education and training as a way to greater economic security. When asked what government benefit would most help poor families get ahead, a majority (89 percent) of moderate and high income New Yorkers and low income New Yorkers (68 percent) identified skills acquisition (training and higher education) as a first or second response.  Basic education, including pursuit of a GED and English for Speakers of Other Languages also received significant support from both moderate and high income New Yorkers and low-income New Yorkers